School Report (2017)

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Stonewall School Report 2017 shows anti-LGBT bullying and language has decreased across Britain’s schools since 2012

But almost half of all LGBT pupils still face bullying at school for being LGBT, and more than two in five trans young people have tried to take their own life

This new research must act as a wake-up call for schools, government and politicians

School Report 2017 is Stonewall’s new research with the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge into the experiences of over 3,700 lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) pupils in Britain’s schools.

The study shows that while progress has been made over the last decade, many LGBT young people continue to face significant challenges in Britain’s schools.

Download the report

Key findings

Nearly half of LGBT pupils (45 per cent) – including 64 per cent of trans pupils – are bullied for being LGBT in Britain’s schools.This is down from 55 per cent of lesbian, gay and bi pupils who experienced bullying because of their sexual orientation in 2012 and 65 per cent in 2007

Half of LGBT pupils hear homophobic slurs ‘frequently’ or ‘often’ at school, down from seven in 10 in 2012

Seven in 10 LGBT pupils report that their school says that homophobic and biphobic bullying is wrong, up from half in 2012 and a quarter in 2007. However, just two in five LGBT pupils report that their schools say that transphobic bullying is wrong

Just one in five LGBT pupils have been taught about safe sex in relation to same-sex relationships

More than four in five trans young people have self-harmed, as have three in five lesbian, gay and bi young people who aren’t trans

More than two in five trans young people have attempted to take their own life, and one in five lesbian, gay and bi students who aren’t trans have done the same

What pupils said

I felt like whatever I was doing was worthless. Even if I did well in school, it wouldn’t matter to people because all they would care about is me being gay.

Zoe, 12, secondary school pupil, England

No one I’ve spoken to at school has ever knowingly met a trans person before or been taught anything about trans people and what we might need.

Reece, 18, now in employment, Yorkshire and the Humber

Once in sex education, I asked about safe sex in same-sex relationships and I was told that it was ‘inappropriate’ and ‘that is not suitable for classroom discussion’. I was told to leave the room.

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